Arrangement for manufacturing metal strip



y 6, 1969 K. G. JONASON 3,442,107

ARRANGEMENT FOR MANUFACTURING METAL STRIP Filed May 19, 1966 United States Patent US. Cl. 72-111 2 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An arrangement for manufacturing metal strip, in which a ringshaped metal billet is passed between working rolls and first rolled to a much larger diameter such that when the thickness of the billet has been reduced to the extent that the ring tends to collapse, it is extended on backing rolls into an elongated endless loop. The rolled ring is supported on backing rolls as long as its thickness is sufficient to prevent collapse, and after the ring has been reduced to a state in which it can collapse, the backing rolls lead said loop in a plane through the roll gap, the loop forming substantially right angles with said roll gap.

The present invention relates to an arrangement for manufacturing metal strip, the arrangement comprising two working rolls between which a circular metal blank is first rolled to an ever increasing diameter and when the thickness of the material has been reduced so that said ring tends to depart substantially from its circular shape it is guided out resting on backing rolls, in an endless loop.

It has previously been suggested that starting with a ring shaped billet, said billet be rolled between at least two working rolls until the diameter of the ring is so great that said ring suddenly departs from its circular shape. When this occurs the formed loop is led out on backing rolls and drawn out in an arbitrary direction, the thickness of the material constantly being reduced during the rolling operation and the loop becomes larger and larger.

When the loop has been rolled to the extent that the required thickness of the same has been obtained it can be cut and, for instance, the formed strip can be further rolled in a reversible rolling mill of a type known per se or can also be coiled up if no further rolling is required.

In such loop-rolling methods, however, it has been discovered that the cut loop, as a result of the way in which it has been rolled, is under such tensions that the strip resulting from the cut loop rolls or bends in an unconvenient manner. These drawbacks, however, are eliminated by means of the invention which is mainly characterized in that at least one backing roll is adapted to conformingly support the rolled ring as long as the thickness of said ring prevents sudden changes in the bending radius of the same; and that members are present which can be adjusted in such a way that when the ring has been rolled into a loop they lead said loop in a plane through the roll gap, the plane forming substantially right angles to said roll gap.

The invention will be more closely described below with reference to an embodiment of the same shown diagrammatically in the accompanying drawing, additional 'features characteristic of the invention also being disclosed in conjunction therewith.

FIGURE 1 is a diagrammatic view of an arrangement or apparatus for manufacturing metal strip from a circular shaped metal blank according to the invention.

FIGURE 2 shows a section through a front end of the plane according to FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a view of the fore end in front of the section according to FIGURE 2.

The reference numeral 1 in the drawing indicates a roll stand in which two working rolls 2 and 3 are rotatably and operably mounted. The working rolls are driven by electric motors 4 and 5, respectively, via respective drive shafts 6 and 7. The motors, with respect to their operation, are conveniently coordinated in such a way that the number of revolutions of the rolls 2 and 3 can be adapted according to the requirements of the rolled product.

A ring shaped metal billet 8 is located between the rolls 2 and 3 during the rolling process, the roll gap 9 between said rolls 2 and 3 being successively reduced during the rolling operation in a manner known per se. A backing roll which conformingly adapts itself to the changes in dimension of the ring is arranged, according to the invention to support the ring-shaped billet as long as its thickness is sufiicient to prevent changes in the curving radius of said ring. It has, however, proved advantageous to introduce a large number of backing rolls 10 and 11 to support the ring as shown in FIGURE 1, which backing rolls 10 and 11 may be arranged in pairs or separately along the inner and outer periphery of the ring. These pairs of backing rolls 10 and 11 should be so adapted that firstly they are movable towards and away from each other, and secondly they are also movable in unison so that the roll pairs 10 and 11 may be moved to outer positions, for instance those indicated by 10', 11'. The individual movement of the backing rolls 10 and 11 is a preferred method for adapting the rolls to the decreasing thickness of the material of the ring during the rolling process and also to adapt said rolls to the thickness of the loop at stages 12 and 13, shown as an example of how the loop is enlarged. When the ring has been rolled out to such an extent that it deviates substantially from its circular shape it can be extended out on said rolls; the backing roll pairs 10 and 11 being moved in unison in a conformable manner so that the loop is kept under control. A larger carrier roll 14 is used to extend out the loop, said roll 14 being moved away from the rolls in the direction of arrow A, by means of suitable driving means.

To avoid, in accordance with the invention, tensions in the rolled loop, which tensions may prove inconvenient when cutting said loop, guide means have been arranged pursuant to the invention, which lead the loop in a plane path of movement in connection with the roll gap 9, as is indicated by the straight lines 27 in connection with the roll gap, formed substantially at right angles to the latter.

To obviate the necessity of arranging complicated specific guide means especially for the purpose, it is possible, as can be seen from FIGURE 1, to utilize the rolls 10 and 11 arranged in support roll units 15 and 16 respectively on both sides of the roll gap, the arrangement being such that these units 15 and 16 can be adjusted, for instance by being rotated downwards to a position where they together lead the loop in a level plane and substantially in a plane at right angles to the roll gap between the rolls 2 and 3.

Edge-rolls indicated by the reference numeral 17 are suitably arranged, pursuant to the object of the invention, to enable a finished product to be manufactured, the edges of which require no further working. Such edgerolls may be mounted on rocker arms 18 which in turn are mounted in bearings 19 in the roll housing 1. Thus,

as can be seen from FIGURE 1, by rotation such a mounting permits the rolls 17 to be adjusted as the loop increases, for instance to the positions 17', 17" shown by the dot-dash lines. The way in which the edge rolls 17 are driven in the illustrated construction can best be seen from FIGURE 3 where the rolls are provided with shafts 20, which, via a reduction gearing, are mutually driven by an electric motor 21. Feed screws 22 are arranged for regulating the roll gap 9, the screws passing through nuts, roll fasteners, andover conical drives 23, 24- are driven by the electric motor 25 via the shaft 26.

The loop or ring 8 is shown in FIGURE 3 in cross section with the edge rolls 17 abutting the same on each side and driven by the electric motor 21.

The invention is not restricted to the described embodiment but can be varied arbitrarily within the scope of the attached claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A rolling mill for manufacturing metal strip from a ring-shaped metal billet, said mill comprising working rolls having an adjustable gap therebetween for the passage of a billet to continuously reduce the thickness thereof, adjustable backing rolls conformingly supporting the rolled ring as its diameter increases while the thickness of the ring is sufiicient to prevent collapsing of the ring, means for deforming the rolled ring into an elongated endless loop when the thickness of the ring has been reduced to such an extent that the ring is collapsible, guide means engaging said ring such that when the collapsable loop is formed the same is advanced through the gap between the working rolls in a plane extending substantially at right angles with a plane passing through the axes of the working rolls, and means supporting the guide means for adjustable movement for conforming to the shape of the growing ring prior to its collapse to prevent deformation of the growing uncollapsed ring.

2. A rolling mill as claimed in claim 1, wherein said guide means is comprised of at least one pair of backing rolls having a gap in which the billet is adapted to pass, said means which supports the guide means serving to support the backing rolls in the latter said pair firstly for movement in relation to each other for adjusting the gap therebetween according to the thickness of the billet at any moment, and secondly for movement in unison to assume the guide position for said leading of the loop through the working roll gap.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 37,206 12/1862 Jaqua 72109 323,281 7/1885 Daelen 72-1l1 1,284,093 11/1918 Grotnes 72106 1,720,833 7/1929 Grotnes 72106 2,029,751 2/1936 Adams 72-70 2,344,274 3/1944 Stacom 100-160 3,230,606 1/1966 Saito et al 72-87 FOREIGN PATENTS 259,643 5/1913 Germany.

5,200 1914 Great Britain. 13,519 1901 Great Britain.

CHARLES W. LANHAM, Primary Examiner.

A. RUDERMAN, Assistant Examiner. 

